Reflux splitter



G. R. SKOPECEK REFLUX SPLITTER Aug. 15, 1950 Fil ed May 13, 1946 IN V ENTOR. GEORGE R. SKOPECEK 1 ATTORNYS Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE REFLUX SPLITTER George R. Skopecek, Berkeley, Calif.

Application May 13, 1946, Serial No. 669,217

This invention relates to a reflux splitter and has for one of itsobjects the provision of a device that is adapted for splitting refluxcoming from a bubble tower in a manner for returning a more accurateportion thereof t9 the tower than heretofore.

In the commercial process of refining petroleum and other refiningprocesses, where stills, bubble towers, fractionating towers, or thelike, are employed and a certain amount of the reflux is returned to thetower, it is not particularly important that the amount of reflux soreturned be as exact as in pilot installations. Hence in commercialinstallations, conventional valve of the globe, plug or gate type, andothers may be employed even though inaccuracy is inescapable by reasonof their structure and method of operation.

In a pilot installation the utmost accuracy is essential. If a 1:20 or a1:1 or any intermediate ratio between the reflux returned and that whichis carried away is desired, there can be no inaccuracy. The ratio mustbe accurate.

By the present invention this accuracy is made possible.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the reflux splitter.

Fig. 2 is a part elevational, part sectional view of the splitter ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a reduced, semi-diagrammatic view showing a packed bubbletower with the reflux splitter indicated.

In detail, a housing I is provided, which housing comprises a hollowbody formed with a bottom having a pair of openings into which aresecured the open ends of a pair of conduits 2, 3, which conduits arepreferably cylindrical pipe extending divergently downwardly. Conduit 2may then extend horizontally back into the upper end of the bubble tower4 (Fig. 3) while conduit 3 may extend to any desired point away fromsaid tower.

The housing I has a top Wall 5 (Figs. 1, 2) that may be removablysecured on the body I in fluid tight relation to the latter, and a pipe6 extends downwardly through said top wall into said body and terminatesin the latter in a downwardly directed open end spaced above theupwardly directed open ends of conduits 2, 3.

Preferably, the upper ends of conduits 2, 3 are closely adjacent eachother and a vertically extending cut-off baflie plate I0 extendsupwardly between said conduits to a point intermediate the open ends ofsaid conduits and the lower open end of pipe 6. Said baflie plate isintegral with body I and is preferably rounded on its upper edge 1Claim. (01. 2 61-110) so that any liquid striking the same will promptlybe drained to one side or the other or both, and

, the plane bisecting the downwardly directed open end of pipe 3 andalso bisecting the space between the upper ends of conduits 2, 3.

The open ends of said conduits 2, 3 provide inlets for liquid and thesides of the housing I as well as the sides of battle plate I0 extendingsubstantially vertically to the edges of said inlets so that liquiddeposited at opposite sides of the baflle Ill will flow directly intothe inlets with the least resistance.

Pivotally secured to the end of pipe 6 that projects into the housing isa vertically extending, tubular open-ended nozzle I I having a dischargeoutlet I2 in its lower end, and which lower end is preferably taperedsubstantially as shown. The outlet I2 is preferably elliptical incontour in direction longitudinally of the bafiie as indicated in Fig.1.

The diameter of the upper end of the nozzle, is larger than that of thepipe 6, and horizontally axially aligned pivots I3 (only one shown inFig. 2) connect the upper end of the nozzle with the pipe 5, the lowerend of pipe 6 being within the upper end of nozzle II.

If the nozzle were to hang vertically from the pivots, the discharge endof the nozzle would be directly over the upper edge of bafile plate Illclose to said edge. Upon swinging the nozzle, the lower end will move toone side or the other of the baflie and directly over either inlet 2 orinlet 3 as the case may be.

Extending from one side of nozzle I I is an arm I5 that is secured tosaid nozzle at one of its ends while the opposite end of said arm ispivotally secured to one end of a relatively short link I6. The oppositeend of link It is pivotally secured to the lower end of a verticalextension I! that extends downwardly from a vertically disposed solenoidcore I3, said core being in a solenoid I9. Solenoid I9 is supported andenclosed in a case 26 that may form part of the housing or housing cover5. The casing is liquid tight and is preferably secured on the top 5 ofthe housing with the extension I3 of the solenoid core freelyreciprocable vertically upon vertical movement of the core I8 up or downaccording to whether the coil I9 is energized or not.

When the core I8 is at the bottom of its stroke, to which position itmoves by gravity when the current tothe coil I8 is broken, the nozzle IIwill be swung to a position in which its discharge end is over conduit2. When the coil I9 is energized, the core I8 will be lifted and heldelevated coil It with the nozzle ii swung to a position in which itsdischarge end is over the conduit 3. This swinging movement is rapid andthe discharge of reflux from the nozzle is not discontinued at any timenor is there any noticeable change in the quantity steadily delivered,which would not be the case were plug, gate, globe or other conventionalvalves used.

The coil [9 may be energized in any suitable manner but in any event,the control should be such that any desired ratio of the amount ofreflux deposited with conduit 2 to the amount deposited in conduit 3should be obtainable. One method would be to provide a motor drivenswitch 25 in an electrical circuit leading to coil [9. The segments 25of said switch may be driven by a synchronous electric motor 2 1, and aslong as contact between segments 25 and contact 2! is established, thecore 58 will be elevated and reflux will be deposited in conduit 3, butas soon as the contact is broken, the nozzle will instantly swing to theopposite side of the baflle plate It for discharge into conduit ihe timeduring which said nozzle will discharge into conduit 2 is dependent uponthe time during which the contact is broken. As segments may be rotatedrelatively to provide a short or a long gap 23, it will be seen that anydesired ratio can be established between the amount of reflux dischargedinto conduit 22 and that die hargcd into conduit 3. There are many derent types of motor driven switohes that may be e nloyed, so no claimis made to this feature in itsell.

A typical arrangement of the reflux splitter of this invention relativeto a packs as a bubble tower is diagrammatically i licated in Fig: 3 inwhich vapor is condensed in the upper portion of the tower by acondenser 5 i, and the condensate or reflux is received in a receptaclefrom which it goes to the splitter gen erally designated Inasmuch as thehousing I inciuding the cover and all conduit and pipe attachments arefluid tight, and the for the solenoid is also in tight relation with thecover, it will be seen that no packing is required, and all movingelements may be freely movable with the minitower to such 1 mumfriction. These features together with the fact that the cut-ofi fromone conduit to the other is practically instantaneous and withoutnoticeable change in the velocity and volume of liquid being dischargedthrough the nozzle, results in a highly accurate proportioning of theflow of reflux from one conduit to the other. As already stated, thislatter result is of vital inportance in pilot plant operations.

I claim:

A reflux splitter comprising a hollow body, a supply pipe for refluxextending through one of the walls of said body and into the upperportion of the latter, a pair of conduits opening into said body in thelower portion thereof, an open ended generally vertically extendingnozzle positioned within said body with its upper open end positionedfor receiving reflux from said supply pipe during swinging of saidnozzle about a horizontal axis, pivot means supporting said nozzlewithin said body fo; said swinging, the sides of the lower open end ofsaid nozzle being flattened to provide a horizontally elongateddischarge opening at said lower end extending parallel with the axisabout which said nozzle is adapted to swing on said pivot means, theopen ends of said pair of conduits being respectivel positioned belowsaid discharge opening at opposite ends of its stroke d1. ing swingingof said nozzle, and a vertically attending cutoff bafile positionedbetween the upper open ends of said pair of conduits, the up edge ofsaid bafiie being horizontally elongated a d paraliel with saiddischarge opening and p ioned to provide a relatively slight clearancebetween it and the discharge end of said nozzle during swinging or" thelatter across said bafie.

GEORGE R. SKO'PECEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,185,970 Zieoolz Jan. 2, 19402,251,185 Carter et al July 29, 1941

